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>There is an unwritten social contract here. Websites are willing to host and organise a vast number of content because that'll attract an audience for ads. I'
by MrVandemar 2y ago
>There is an unwritten social contract here. Websites are willing to host and organise a vast number of content because that'll attract an audience for ads.
I'm not seeing the "unwritten social contract" when I look up something on Wikipedia, or download an old textbook or manual or something off Archive.Org. I don't remember seeing advertising on either of those services.
- shiroiushi 2y agoYou haven't seen all the requests for donations on Wikipedia? It's not technically "advertising" I suppose, but it's basically the same, just more direct.
- MrVandemar 2y agoNobody is compelled to donate. Wikipedia doesn't automatically get 0.05c because I viewed their donation request. On the other hand, the act of visiting someone's website with advertising they do get some remuneration automatically. And it inspires them to put more advertising on, and more intrusively.
- shiroiushi 2y agoThese are good points, but to the viewer, the effect isn't really that different: in both cases, you're seeing something that 1) isn't the information you're looking for, 2) is "polluting" your screen space (i.e. getting in the way of what you are trying to look at), and 3) is asking for money in some way (whether directly in the form of a donation request, or indirectly in the form of a 3rd-party ad trying to get you to go somewhere and purchase something).